Getting It Done

I recently purchased a cool iPod Touch to replace both my PDA and my old iPod, and I love it!

You can put applications on it, like games, shopping lists, and my favorite – the to do list. I purchased a cool application that helps me keep track of what I need to do, when I need it done, and even lets me cross off items with a purple “crayon”. It’s from Appigo and you can find it here.

Now you don’t have to use an electronic organizer in order to get things done. I use one because it appeals to me, but you can use whatever appeals to you.

Here are some tips to help you manage that to do list of yours:

Keep only one list. It’s OK to do two if one stays strictly at work, but make sure that whatever you’re using to keep track of your list keeps everything together and in one place. In other words, no more sticky notes and random scraps of paper.

Keep your list reasonable. A while back, I wrote about the Dump List, where you just dump everything down on paper to get it out of your head. A Dump List is NOT a to do list; instead, it is a place to go when you’re compiling your to do list.

Put a time frame around everything on your list. If you don’t know how long something takes, make an estimate and then time yourself when you do it. People with Attention Defiict Disorder tend to be very poor judges of time, and are often guilty of overscheduling themselves.

One of the things I like about an electronic organizer is that I can list recurring tasks, like mopping the floor, once, and then set it to repeat for whatever time frame I choose. If you have a paper based planning system, maybe you could group like tasks together and then shorthand them in your planner. That way, you develop the habit of doing the particular thing without having to write it all down each time.

If you’re keeping your list on paper, use a highlighter (or stickers) to cross things off that you’ve completed. It’s a great motivator.

Consider switching systems once in a while. People with ADHD get bored easily and always respond well to something that is new and different. Maybe a simple change is all you need to get you motivated again.

Finally, I just wanted to mention that this particular spurt of productivity on my part was inspired by a post I wrote last week, about The ADHD Homemaker. I took the card file idea from that post and re-created it on my iPod. Whatever works, right?